Sliding and folding partition.



I Nq. 688,590

Patented ne. l, 190|. w. n. BuTTERFlELn.

SLIDING AND FOLDING PARTITION.

(Application filed Nov. 30, 1900.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

VELLS D. BUTTERFIELD, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

Sl-.IDING AND FOLDING PARTITION.

SPECIFICATN forming part of Letters Patent N o. 688,590, dated December 10, 1901. Application filed November 30, 1900. Serial No. 38,135. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that LWELLs D. BUTTERFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Slidingand Folding Partitions;

and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of, this specification.

This invention relates to sliding and folding partitions, and has for its object improved clear.

The fixtures which form the object of this invention may be used with an opening of so large an extent that it is necessary to support the ceiling on posts, and these posts may be as numerous as may be desired, or the partition may be placed in front of and close to a step, as is sometimes desirable in church-buildings where it is desired to screen off a gallery lor a portion of a gallery.

The invention also relates to a peculiarlyconstructed swiveledwheel comparable to a.

caster, but dierent somewhat from an ordinary casterwheel, which is employed to support and carry the leaves of the folding partition.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation' of a partition partly folded and partly extended across an opening. Fig. 2 is a horiaontal section of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asection of the carrying-wheel employed. Y Fig. Llis an elevation showing a part of a panel of the partition. Fig. 5 is an elevation showing a part of a panel with the carrying-wheel and guide-pin arranged different to the arrangement shown in Fig. 4t. Fig. 6 is a section across the guide a at zr. Fig. 7 is a section across the guide a at y y. On the ceiling, running along the top of the opening to be closed by the partition, is a gro'oved guideway a, that in a partition having leaves which are to slide to and fold at Vswing out and fold to their folded position.

This distance will be equal to .the width of two of the leaves plus-the distance occupied by all the folds of leaves when the partition a The distance may be slightly less or slightly greater than that specified aboverbut should not vary greatly therefrom. Above the groove a and inside it is a second groove b, preferably of 'shorter breadth, and this groove b extends entirely across the opening.

The lower surface of the boundingqvalls of" the groove a is preferably below the ceiling. The second groove b is preferably in the plane of the ceiling.

The leaves P of the partition are generally made similar to a panel; but they may have any shape or style of configuration that may bedesired. The several leaves are hinged together to fold alternately to the right and to the left, the hinges h, h, 71,2, and h3 being arranged to allow the panels to fold in one direction and the hinges 7a la 7.42 7c3 being arranged to allow the panels to fold in the opposite direction.

On the oor and across the opening is a track T, made of a half-round bar or preferably of sheet metal7 pressed with a half-round rib, that is laid on the.y floor with the rib to the upper side, and under eachalternate Y panel of the partition is a swiveled wheel B. In place of the ribbed track a grooved track may be used, if preferred, and the wheel then runs in the grooves instead of on the rib. The

swiveled wheel is placed in the leaf with reference to the way in which the leaves are to fold. lf they are to fold all to oneside of the track across the opening, they are placed near the corner of the leaf and are attached on each alternate leaf. l fold across the track, so that in their folded position they extend about equallyon each side of the track, the swiveled wheels are at- 1 cached to the leaf about midway of the bottom line, as shown in Fig. 5. In each leaf to roo y If the leaves are to roller C are directly above the swiveled wheel B. The swiveled wheel consists of a grooved wheel d, journaled in the forks e of a vertical stem j', and the stem is journaled vertically in a shell g, that has a bell-mouthed opening opening downward large enough to receive nearly all of the wheel (1,*leaving only enough ofthe rim of the wheel projecting be- .low the bottom of the mouth of the shell to Iwheel a thrust against an end ball-bearing.

On the ceiling, at one side of the groove b and spaced from the end wall W by a distance a little greater than the cross distance `of twoleaves of the partition, is a knob or projection S, 'and, each alternate leaf of the partition `basa projection r, properly located to engage the knob S when the leaf is pushed to .ward thewall W alongside of or by the knob Whenever the projection yr on the'door i'gagesthe knob vS, the leaf is forced out of f line, andlthis leaf and the one with which it isV immediately connected begin to bend one with `re'spectto each olheigand as the parti; .tion'c'ontinues to be pushed toward the .wall

W the bending or folding iscontinued Auntil vgether against the wall W.

the folds are assembled folded closely to- When the reverse movement takes place and the partition is pulled away from the wall WV, the folds consecutively engage against and pass under a spring R,vand' the spring R engages frictionally against-the top of the leaves and restrains their free movement, and the leaves which have passed beyond the spring straighten into the line, because of the resistance'to the free forward movement of the leaf which is in engagement with the spring-detainer and which subsequently itself cornes into line when the next succeeding leaf has been brought into Contact with the spring-retainer.

I do not consider either the projection r or the knob S as essential to the working of the device; neither do I consider the spring R as essential to its perfect working in extending or spreading out the folds of the partition. They are, however, bot-h useful and in some cases quite desirable. Sometimes instead of using the spring R, I broaden or Widen -the mouth of the guide-groove u., and this directs the folds properly in operation.

What I claim is- 1. In asliding and folding partition, in combination with hinged leavesforming the parts of such partition, a ceiling-guide adapted to engage the top of the partition extending partially across the opening and leaving a part of the ceiling free from such guide, a rollerguide in the ceiling extending across the opening and adapted to engage a roller project,- ing above the partition, substantially as described. i

2. In a sliding and folding partition, in combination with leaves hinged together to form such partition, a Hoor-track, a swiveled trackwheel arranged to traverse said Hoor-track and secured to the leaves of said partition, a ceilingfguide extending partially across the opening, arranged to engage the` top end of the leaves of said partition, and asecond ceilin g-guide arranged to engage a roller project* ing above the leaves of said partition, substantially as described.

. 3. In afoldingand sliding partition, in combination with a Hoor-track, a partition of folding leaves, and means for supporting said leaves, movably on said track, a ceiling-guide extending partially across the opening to be closed by said partition, a knob and a projection on a leaf of the partition, the projection and the knob being adapted to engage and to force the leaf bearing the knob out from a straight line with other leaves of the partition, substantially as described. 4

4. In asliding and folding partition, in combination with the leaves, a spring-detainer arranged to contact the leaves successively as the partition is extended, substantially as described. c

In testimony whereof I sign this specificad tion in the presence of two Witnesses.

WELLS I). BUTTERFIELD. 

